I've been wanting a squat bar since I realized they existed and especially after squatting with one at RPS. The price tag always held me back so I've been making due with the B&R bar for the last bunch of years. Problem I have with it though, is its very passive knurling doesn't hold all that well unless I have chalk on my back or I happen to be wearing my bar-grip t-shirt but even that is hit and miss and it tears up my shoulders and elbows sometimes. Elite FTS was running a sale on all Texas bars so I started getting that itch real bad. Still, I couldn't justify spending so much for a bar I would only use for squatting. So then what if I just got something with a little more bite? I read reviews for 2 straight days on power bars for Ohio, Texas, and Westside and then convinced the wife that I had to have one. I decided on a raw steel Ohio bar since my B&R feels so good and is holding up well with not too much maintenance. A lot of the reviews for the black zinc complained that it off and fades to an ugly greenish black. It came in today.

B&R bar on the right, Ohio on the right

To make the wife feel she was getting something out of this deal, I bought her a couple kettlebells to play with

Updated pictures of the gym that shouldn't be blocked since I no longer use photobucket

Thanks guys. I'd much rather have a good powerlifting gym nearby. Neversate was cool, but they lean towards the strongman stuff a lot and I didn't fully fit. I actually felt in the way as they were training for a comp the last few times I was there. I'll go back to have fun every once in a while though.

As far as admission, anyone willing to work hard is free. I'd love to have company.

Nice set up! I bought the Rogue OPB too, bare steel. Mine has started to rust. I think the factory had some good oil or something on it that lasted several months but then one day the bar started to rust. Since then i've been oiling it a bit. Still a damn good bar

Nice set up! I bought the Rogue OPB too, bare steel. Mine has started to rust. I think the factory had some good oil or something on it that lasted several months but then one day the bar started to rust. Since then i've been oiling it a bit. Still a damn good bar

I brush mine at the end of every training session if it gets chalk on it (the OPB doesn't need chalk, but my others do). I put a light coat of 3in1 on it about every 2 weeks. My basement is humid enough to where i put a de-humidifier in it to take it from 70% to 35% but that was after a year living here and none of my bars are rusted. All are bare steel but the Okie bar has a patina on it.

Nice set up! I bought the Rogue OPB too, bare steel. Mine has started to rust. I think the factory had some good oil or something on it that lasted several months but then one day the bar started to rust. Since then i've been oiling it a bit. Still a damn good bar

I brush mine at the end of every training session if it gets chalk on it (the OPB doesn't need chalk, but my others do). I put a light coat of 3in1 on it about every 2 weeks. My basement is humid enough to where i put a de-humidifier in it to take it from 70% to 35% but that was after a year living here and none of my bars are rusted. All are bare steel but the Okie bar has a patina on it.

It was weird, mine got rust spots everywhere my hands had touched it. It was like finger prints of rust

Nice set up! I bought the Rogue OPB too, bare steel. Mine has started to rust. I think the factory had some good oil or something on it that lasted several months but then one day the bar started to rust. Since then i've been oiling it a bit. Still a damn good bar

I brush mine at the end of every training session if it gets chalk on it (the OPB doesn't need chalk, but my others do). I put a light coat of 3in1 on it about every 2 weeks. My basement is humid enough to where i put a de-humidifier in it to take it from 70% to 35% but that was after a year living here and none of my bars are rusted. All are bare steel but the Okie bar has a patina on it.

It was weird, mine got rust spots everywhere my hands had touched it. It was like finger prints of rust